The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has maintained its prominent position within the Turkish political landscape for two decades, now venturing into its second 20 years in power. I have previously penned an article on this matter, articulating from a comprehensive standpoint the enduring advantages that the AK Party retains against the opposition.

Recently, during a conversation with a senior official from the AK Party, we engaged in a discourse concerning how the AK Party has stayed in power for so long. A salient point emerging from that exchange serves as the impetus for this present article.

"We are going to the congress as a party that has been in power for 20 years, and in this congress, we are still chasing change and looking for innovation. We are trying to meet the demands of society for change, both in ideas and thoughts and by replacing our cadres with newcomers,” the AK Party official said.

In fact, meeting the demands of society for change is not a matter of today for the AK Party. Since its foundation, the AK Party has continuously renewed itself by acting according to the time, ground, conditions and spirit of the time. As the AK Party continued to meet the demands of society, it continued to protect the support of its electorate.

Opposition's resistance to change

Recently, the opposition had four critical years of preparations. They believed they would change the government. On the other hand, they did not produce any lucid policies. They focused on a single issue: defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and getting rid of him.

When the idea of overthrowing President Erdoğan, for which they had great hopes, did not come true, partly because they had not produced policies for six or seven years, it hit them hard, and now they are left without any policies.

What is unusual is that opposition parties resist change. Under normal conditions, while the ruling party is busy with governmental affairs and the balance of power, the opposition can develop and transform itself into better forms in light of the public demand for change. The political opposition in a country should represent the change. However, the AK Party seems to continue to pursue a change in Türkiye after the last election.

Unceasing transformation within ruling party

Leading up to the last elections, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan favored the reelection of around 190 members of Parliament, opting to supplant earlier designees with newcomers. He formed a Cabinet of Ministers comprising companions who were accepted by society at large. I believe the forthcoming congress will usher in fresh ideologies, perspectives and individuals. In a way, the AK Party continues the trend of change that the opposition should indeed make.

Let me, in brief, examine the landscape of opposition parties. There is a fight within the main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), between reformists devoid of substantive content and traditionalists. The Good Party (IP) has failed to establish a robust intellectual foundation. In a way, the three parties of the opposition alliance that supported the CHP and engaged in politics with it for the last elections began to share in the classical, inevitable fate of the CHP.

When we compare the AK Party with the opposition parties, we see that the governing party methodically conducts politics predicated upon rational foundations, aligning its policies with public demands, its own visions and the tenets of political science.

The opposition parties, on the other hand, were more ideological, more introverted and more exclusionary. In the end, as usual, the rational and realistic one won against the conservative and ideological.

What is striking is that no matter how much the conditions alter, the government is in favor of it, but the opposition is closed and resistant to change.